Patsy Atwood Reese in Fort Worth, Texas is spending a year sharing about her family history starting in the 19th century...
Why did you decide to do this project? I have hundreds of family letters and some very old pictures, even tintypes.
I have been collecting photos and artifacts (mostly ephemera) from both sides of my family for decades. To me as a history major it is fascinating, on many different levels. I was raised by a large family in my father's home town in central Texas. Every aunt, uncle, and cousin has a great story (I think.) So do my grandparents and great-grandparents (Civil War veterans, for example, on my father's side.)
For many many years I have been promising myself I would put this all in a book, to give to my offspring, and other family members as well. I am 73 now, and I can't take it with me!!
Dragging stuff around, trying to take care of it, losing some of it in a flood around 1990, I read your piece and realized this was my answer. In 366 days I will be able to put it all out there, for family as well as interested friends, to enjoy and/or save for themselves. I have digitized almost everything except textiles, which are very few, and will be photographed.
How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I find I look forward to every post, sometimes even setting some up in advance. I just don't want to miss a single day. And there is so much more that I have to tell.
It has been great to realize that after a year I will likely be near my goal. If I print all the blog entries, my long-awaited book will be a reality!!! I have been thanked on Facebook by several people already.
I have heard from family and extended family about this, a few wanting to contribute, or comment, but not many. Perhaps as time goes by more folks will join in. My four grandchildren are certainly interested. and I already have two great-grandchildren. Some of my life will seem very strange to them, as will the lives of my parents and grandparents.
My two daughters have put me off every time I have tried to get us together for digitizing and scrapbooking. Now that this project is started, they have actually arranged for us to spend a weekend in March together, sharing and documenting what we can about ourselves, our forebears, and our loved ones.
Read Patsy's family history HERE.
Why did you decide to do this project? I have hundreds of family letters and some very old pictures, even tintypes.
I have been collecting photos and artifacts (mostly ephemera) from both sides of my family for decades. To me as a history major it is fascinating, on many different levels. I was raised by a large family in my father's home town in central Texas. Every aunt, uncle, and cousin has a great story (I think.) So do my grandparents and great-grandparents (Civil War veterans, for example, on my father's side.)
For many many years I have been promising myself I would put this all in a book, to give to my offspring, and other family members as well. I am 73 now, and I can't take it with me!!
Dragging stuff around, trying to take care of it, losing some of it in a flood around 1990, I read your piece and realized this was my answer. In 366 days I will be able to put it all out there, for family as well as interested friends, to enjoy and/or save for themselves. I have digitized almost everything except textiles, which are very few, and will be photographed.
How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I find I look forward to every post, sometimes even setting some up in advance. I just don't want to miss a single day. And there is so much more that I have to tell.
It has been great to realize that after a year I will likely be near my goal. If I print all the blog entries, my long-awaited book will be a reality!!! I have been thanked on Facebook by several people already.
I have heard from family and extended family about this, a few wanting to contribute, or comment, but not many. Perhaps as time goes by more folks will join in. My four grandchildren are certainly interested. and I already have two great-grandchildren. Some of my life will seem very strange to them, as will the lives of my parents and grandparents.
My two daughters have put me off every time I have tried to get us together for digitizing and scrapbooking. Now that this project is started, they have actually arranged for us to spend a weekend in March together, sharing and documenting what we can about ourselves, our forebears, and our loved ones.
Read Patsy's family history HERE.
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